MIF: Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor
A pleiotropic cytokine and enzyme involved in inflammation, immune regulation, and cancer.
Gene Information Card
| Symbol | MIF |
|---|---|
| Full Name | Macrophage Migration Inhibitory Factor (glycosylation-inhibiting factor) |
| Gene Type | protein-coding |
| Chromosomal Location | 22q11.23 |
| NCBI Gene ID | 4282 ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/gene/4282 |
| Ensembl ID | ENSG00000240972 |
| UniProt ID | P14174 |
| OMIM ID | 153620 |
| HGNC ID | 7097 |
| Aliases | GIF, GLIF, MMIF |
Description
The MIF gene encodes a pleiotropic cytokine and enzyme that plays a critical role in innate and adaptive immunity. It inhibits random macrophage migration, promotes pro-inflammatory cytokine production, and has tautomerase and oxidoreductase activities. MIF is involved in inflammatory diseases, autoimmune disorders, and cancer progression.
Disease Associations
| Disease category | Pathophysiological mechanism | Genomic evidence |
|---|---|---|
| Rheumatoid Arthritis | MIF promotes synovial inflammation and macrophage activation via CD74/CD44 signaling. | NCBI Gene, OMIM |
| Sepsis | Elevated MIF levels correlate with severity; MIF inhibits glucocorticoid anti-inflammatory effects. | NCBI Gene, OMIM |
| Cancer (e.g., breast, lung, colorectal) | MIF supports tumor growth, angiogenesis, and metastasis through MAPK and PI3K/Akt pathways. | COSMIC, NCBI Gene |
| Inflammatory Bowel Disease | MIF contributes to mucosal inflammation and macrophage infiltration. | OMIM, NCBI Gene |
| Atherosclerosis | MIF promotes monocyte adhesion and foam cell formation. | NCBI Gene |
Expression Profile
Tissue Expression
| Tissue | nTPM | level |
|---|---|---|
| Lung | 12.5 | Medium |
| Spleen | 10.2 | Medium |
| Liver | 8.7 | Medium |
| Kidney | 7.3 | Low |
| Brain | 4.1 | Low |
Cell Line Expression
| Cell Line | nTPM | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| HeLa | 15.3 | Cervical adenocarcinoma |
| A549 | 12.8 | Lung carcinoma |
| MCF7 | 9.6 | Breast adenocarcinoma |
| HepG2 | 8.4 | Hepatocellular carcinoma |
| THP-1 | 20.1 | Monocytic leukemia |
Data source：Human Protein Atlas（proteinatlas.org）
Mutations & Variants
Hotspot Mutations
| Variant | Type | Frequency | Functional Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| rs755622 (G>C) | SNP | ~20% (global) | Promoter variant; associated with increased MIF expression and susceptibility to inflammatory diseases. |
| rs5844572 (CATT repeat) | Microsatellite | Variable | 5-8 CATT repeats in promoter; longer repeats linked to higher expression and disease risk. |
| p.Pro2Ser | Missense | <1% | Reduced tautomerase activity; potential loss-of-function. |
Mutation functional classification
Loss of Function (LOF)
Rare missense variants (e.g., p.Pro2Ser) reduce enzymatic activity and cytokine function.
Gain of Function (GOF)
Promoter polymorphisms (e.g., rs755622, high-repeat CATT) increase MIF expression, enhancing pro-inflammatory and tumorigenic effects.
Dominant Negative (DN)
Not reported for MIF.
View complete mutation data：
Gene Ontology (GO)
| • cytokine activity | • tautomerase activity |
| • oxidoreductase activity | • macrophage migration inhibitory factor activity |
| • protein homodimerization activity | • extracellular space |
| • cytoplasm | • nucleus |
| • inflammatory response | • positive regulation of tumor necrosis factor production |
Pathways
• Toll-like receptor signaling pathway
• MAPK signaling pathway
• PI3K-Akt signaling pathway
• Glucocorticoid receptor signaling
• CD74 signaling
Protein Summary
MIF is a 12.5 kDa protein that forms a homotrimer. It possesses tautomerase and oxidoreductase activities, though its primary biological function is as a pro-inflammatory cytokine. MIF binds to CD74 and CD44 receptors, activating ERK1/2, PI3K/Akt, and NF-κB pathways. It counter-regulates glucocorticoid immunosuppression and promotes cell survival, proliferation, and migration.
Related Services
Related Products
| Product name | Cat.No. | Species | Gene ID | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| MIF4GD Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ14265 | Human | 57409 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF Knockout HEK293 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ50093 | Human | 4282 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF4GD Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ44281 | Human | 57409 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF4GD Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ44282 | Human | 57409 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF4GD Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ44283 | Human | 57409 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF Knockout MC-38 Cell Line | EDJ-KZ349 | Mouse | 17319 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF Knockout HeLa Cell Line | EDJ-KQ53873 | Human | 4282 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF Knockout A-549 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ62363 | Human | 4282 | Details Get a Quote |
| MIF Knockout HCT 116 Cell Line | EDJ-KQ70833 | Human | 4282 | Details Get a Quote |
